Drax the Destroyer #4 of 4

Keith Giffen // Mitch Breitweiser
February 2006
***

Fitted w/ hunting knives & a lean purple body, Drax saves an Alaska town from aliens. Well, not really: with no way offworld, the Skrull turns himself in to the intergalactic authorities. Anyhow, no longer a Hulk ripoff & w/ a bratty sidekick, this revamped Drax isn’t all that inspiring.

last issue: Drax the Destroyer #3 of 4

Drax the Destroyer #3 of 4

Keith Giffen // Mitch Breitweiser
January 2006
***

Under this crime tale of on-the-run criminals who take over a small town, there’s a cynical whimsy that’s unrelated the the scifi twist. Maybe it’s Giffen’s fondness for his POV char, a punk pre-teen who skips school & treats a lean, mean Drax—resurrected & no longer a grey brute—like he’s a pet dog.

last issue: Drax the Destroyer #2 of 4
next issue: Drax the Destroyer #4 of 4

also indexed for Jan. ’06
The Pulse #12

Drax the Destroyer #2 of 4

Keith Giffen // Mitch Breitweiser
December 2005
***

Brisk scifi w/ a twist: the aliens who enslave a small US town aren’t conquerors, they’re shipwrecked cons on the run. Giffen kills the title char; his protag’s a rotten pre-teen into ultra-violence. The artist has a touch of Cassaday’s expressive faces but can’t stage all the hand-to-hand combat.

last issue: Drax the Destroyer #1 of 4
next issue: Drax the Destroyer #3 of 4

also indexed for Dec. ’05
Secret War #5 of 5
Young Avengers #9

Drax the Destroyer #1 of 4

Keith Giffen // Mitch Breitweiser
November 2005
**

A prison starship crashes in Alaska, stranding a grabbag of alien convicts. No superheroics, just solid scifi—tho’ a muddy palate undercuts Breitweiser’s art. Giffen shows intellect thru dialog & notes the notoriety of Earth’s heroes. The revamp of a minor Starlin heavy links to Giff’s ’04 Thanos arc.

next issue: Drax the Destroyer #2 of 4

also indexed for Nov. ’05
The Pulse #11
Young Avengers #8

Avengers/JLA #4 of 4

Kurt Busiek // George Pérez
December 2003
***

The crossover ends as it must: in an enormous brawl of punching & zapping. Still, the mag’s creative duo amazingly avoid even a whiff of the corporate avarice that must underpin this mini. The grand scope & casual confidence prove a good capstone to the super-teamwork dynamic that defines the Avengers run of Busiek & Pérez et al. Think of it as a victory lap AWA an impressive work of fan-service.

last issue: JLA/Avengers #3 of 4

also indexed for Dec. ’03
Alias #27
New X-Men #148

Maximum Security #3 of 3

Kurt Busiek // Jerry Ordway
January 2001
**

Superheroes stop an alien intelligence from turning Earth into an interstellar bio-electrical WMD. A confusing climax to a conventional crossover, whose potential rarely came into focus. Ordway’s flat art lends the feeling that Max Sec is a ’80s DC tale bloated by minor plots & lapsed characters.

continued from Avengers #35
last issue: Maximum Security #2 of 3

also indexed for Jan. ’01
Avengers #36

Maximum Security #1 of 3

Kurt Busiek // Jerry Ordway
November 2000
***

Busiek & his editors orchestrate a massive ’80s-style crossover, w/ this miniseries (incl. a prologue) acting as spine & many mags sacrificing an issue in support. The high concept: Earth has been made into a galactic penal colony. US Agent offers narration, a pig-headed man-of-action w/ more flavor than your standard Avenger. Ordway’s artwork is buoyant but may be too light for the mini’s needs.

continued from Maximum Security: Dangerous Planet #1 of 1
continued from Avengers #34
next issue: Maximum Security #2 of 3

also indexed for Nov. ’00
Thunderbolts #44
Avengers #34